By Jamie Harkins
LOS ANGELES—The 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings roster remains virtually intact for the 2014-2015 campaign with the only new plate above a dressing room stall bearing the name Brayden McNabb.
As of press time, the Davidson-born defenceman has appeared in all six Kings games this season where he has recorded zero points, two penalty minutes, 16 hits and a plus-one rating in 17:21 of average ice time each game. Due to an early season injury to Jake Muzzin, McNabb has spent this time on ice playing alongside all-star defenceman Drew Doughty.
“He’s a great player,” said McNabb, 23, who beat out fellow Manchester Monarchs rearguard Jeff Schultz for the sole vacant roster spot in camp. “He’s one of the best if not the best defenceman out there, so it’s pretty fun. He’s an easy player to play with and when you give him the puck you know he’s going to do something good with it. It’s just a good experience to learn from him.”
McNabb said playing with Doughty presents a good challenge for him because the duo are facing the opposing team’s best line each shift. He said lining up with Doughty for one game in the pre-season and black acing with the team during the Cup run has helped him transition to this spot, but there are still areas of the game he needs to get better at and the coaching staff is helping him in this regard.
“I do video with (defensive coach) John Stevens almost after every game,” he said. “We watch over my shifts and he’s really good at analyzing the game and helping me on what I need to work on. But that basically is just playing within the dots and having good angles on players and just being a hard guy to play against.”
The current edition of the Kings is proving to be just as hard to play against as they were during last spring’s Cup run. Los Angeles has a 4-1-1 record through the first six games and sits in second place in the Pacific Division.
McNabb said the veteran laden team is a confident group and should be considering everyone on the roster except himself has at least one or two Cup rings. He said the players in the room are really tight and it is easy for him to see why they win so much with the great chemistry they have.
“It’s good to be around the older guys,” said McNabb. “You get to watch and learn from them and use it for now and for the future of my career.”
Category Archives: Davidson
RM residents may tap into town water supply
By Kevin Gilby
DAVIDSON—R.M. of Arm River council members and Davidson town council met Tuesday to discuss the RM’s letter of request to install a small water tank at the R.M. Shop in Davidson.
R.M. councillor Billy Gust was present to answer questions the town had regarding anticipated demand on the town’s reverse osmosis plant.
The town was requesting the estimated demand a pump would introduce to their system. Gust was able to present usage for a year, which included spraying and cistern applications not intended to be applicable to the proposed in-town water pump.
Further, the R.M. intends to install either a flow-rate limited pump or restrictor valve at the R.M. shop to provide potable water to its population. The limit of the flow rate would make it impractical for bulk users to use the supply.
Confident that the usage would not negatively impact the Davidson water supply, town council agreed to allow the R.M. to proceed with installing a water pump. In addition, town suggested that the R.M. contact Young’s Equipment to determine if they could ‘tap into’ Young’s service when it is installed.
A fee schedule is to be determined at a future date.
Davidson donates $2 per capita to STARS
By Kevin Gilby
DAVIDSON—STARS emergency air ambulance service has asked rural communities of Saskatchewan to voluntarily donate an annual amount of two dollars per resident to help cover operational costs.
At its meeting Tuesday, Davidson town council voted to make the voluntary donation of about $2,000 because members feel the community has already used its services enough to justify the sum.
Rural communities have been quick to respond favourably to the request, with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) having already urged its member communities to contribute resulting in $300,000 towards costs.
STARS has also requested cities to contribute at the same level as rural areas, reminding residents that they are spending leisure time and travel in rural Saskatchewan as well.
The non-profit service obtains approximately half of its $20 million operational costs from the provincial government, with the remainder coming from corporate donations, and fundraising. Money raised through donations is expected to ease the challenge of raising the funds necessary every year though fundraising activities.
In 2013, STARS operated over 800 missions throughout the province, four to Davidson itself, and eight to communities within Davidson EMS’s coverage area. The province currently has the service of two STARS helicopter bases, one in Regina and one in Saskatoon.
Buckingham, Christine
Christine Phyllis Buckingham, formerly of Aylesbury, Sask., passed away peacefully on October 13, 2014 at the age of 85.
She will be greatly missed by her daughter Maureen Penner, grandchildren Brody and Natasha Penner, sister Agnus Hunter, as well as numerous other family members.
Christine was predeceased by her beloved husband Stuart, her brothers Alexander, Albert and Raymond and her sister Marie.
Christine was born near Strong Pine Sask., on May 9, 1929. She enjoyed her life as a farmer’s wife. Christine also enjoyed gardening, cooking, baking and helping out around the farm when needed. Christine loved to spend time with her grandchildren and watch them grow up.
A celebration of Christine’s life was held at the Aylesbury Community Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, at 2:00 p.m.
As an expression of sympathy, donations in memory of Christine may be directed to the Aylesbury Hall or to the Aylesbury Cemetery Fund.
Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson was in care of arrangements.
Police continue to investigate collision
BLADWORTH—RCMP continue to investigate a fatal collision that occurred Oct. 10 on Highway 11 south of Bladworth.
At about 11 p.m. a brown truck travelling north in the southbound lane of Highway 11 struck a southbound car.
A 25-year-old woman, the lone occupant of the car, was pronounced dead on the scene. The 49-year-old man driving the truck was transported to hospital in Saskatoon with what Craik RCMP have reported as severe injuries.
Friday, Craik RCMP Const. Kevin Morrissette said the crash is still under investigation and could not offer further comment.
The crash occurred just south of Bladworth on a curve in the highway.
RCMP have reported that shortly before the collision occurred, several calls came into their provincial dispatch centre advising of a brown truck travelling north in the southbound lane from Girvin to Davidson.
Craik RCMP had asked that anyone who saw the collision to contact them. Morrissette said they have had two to three witnesses phone them.
Flu shot campaign is underway
DAVIDSON—It wasn’t the fifth of May, but staff at Davidson Health Centre enjoyed a Cinco de Mayo like celebration last Tuesday to launch this season’s influenza vaccination campaign.
Staff at the health centre were treated to a Mexican-themed fiesta by Heartland Health Region as a reward for having the highest rate of staff immunization in the region last season.
As part of their treat, staff enjoyed a supper of Mexican cuisine with Heartland Health CEO Greg Cummings, board member ML Whittles and Dr. David Torr, medical health officer for Heartland Health, to name a few, attend the feast and launch the region’s flu shot campaign.
With 98 per cent of staff receiving their flu shot last year, Davidson Health Centre’s record is close to perfect.
“We’d like to see 100 per cent of people immunized,” Dr. Torr said.
He says immunization is people’s best defence against influenza.
“Influenza is one disease where at least we have a vaccine available and vaccinations is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself,” Torr said.
“What we’re looking at is patient safety. For years we encouraged patients and staff to get flu vaccinations.”
He said this had success, but it reached a plateau.
Now the health region asks staff to get immunized to improve patient safety—to prevent patient illness and deaths.
Staff who are unable to get the flu shot or those who refuse to must wear protective respiratory masks in patient care areas. All health facilities in the province must follow an immunize-or-mask policy this flu season. Visitors who do not get immunized may also be asked to follow the mask-up policy.